One program aims to prepare teachers to recognize students who may exhibit signs of a mental illness. But, but detractors say the pupils could get detrimental labels. NBC's Mark Potter reports.

Education

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>>from connecticut tonight, word that the state's
child advocate
has asked the judge to release the records of the
sandy hookschool shooter
, saying his records are cue to learning about early development and the role this played in last year's massacre. so a new program in miami's
dade county
is taking the lead and training its teachers to look for the signs in troubled students.

>> reporter: once again, the horror of shots fired at an
elementary school
. in time in decater, gourge. a scenario that has become disturbingly familiar. eight months ago at
sandy hook
elementary, and even in columbine. works in the
miami dade county
schools are now being trained and to spot the
warning signs
of student
mental illness
. they include talk of suicide,
high risk
or behavior, withdraw, and persistent sadness.

>>less
metal detection
and more mental detection done in a respectable way.

>> reporter: it's paid for by the
american psychiatric association
. a
miami dade county
judge and
mental health
specialist related the program to school officials just before
sandy hook
.

>>maybe, just maybe, these kids will not -- and teachers will not have died in vain if we really do something to fix this very horrible, fragmented, antti wait kuwaited system that we call
mental health
care.

>> reporter: a new poll shows that
mental health
-- 59% favored more programs, and 33% wanted more
security guards
. students could be echl barsed or stigma tiesed. but he says catching it early helps treat the disease.

>>it's not like you're going to put a
scarlet letter
around the kid and pull him out of class. it won't work like that at all. on.

>> reporter: a newest to treat
mental illness
early before it leads to more violence in classrooms.